


pick me up, take me out later

by michelllejones



Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, No angst here, just two idiots in love, michelle is mj, we won
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-19 23:42:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18980761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michelllejones/pseuds/michelllejones
Summary: Peter thinks he can make a particularly lengthy jump.Michelle is maybe a little too excited to see him fail.





	pick me up, take me out later

**Author's Note:**

> if this is bad, i don't have an excuse, but be nice to me anyway :')
> 
> also: this is post hoco and for the sake of story telling (and my well-being), iw and endgame dont exist in the context of this work.. michelle and peter are stupid teenagers in love and they deserve to be stupid teenagers in love. thank u and goodnight.

Michelle isn’t sure what she thought dating Peter Parker would entail—awkward pauses and shy glances, careful touches, and gentle gestures, perhaps—but she certainly never imagined it would be like _this_. 

What had been a typical Thursday night, spent in her bed with her laptop in her lap as she engrossed herself in her tenth episode of _Schitt’s Creek_ , was interrupted by a sweaty and tousled Peter Parker eagerly tapping against her window, suit-clad and bright-eyed. 

Acutely aware of the anxious way he was waiting for her to acknowledge his presence, she made sure to take her time doing so. 

After about thirty seconds of deliberately avoiding the figure crouched on her fire escape, Michelle looked up and over at Peter, raising her eyebrows in exaggerated shock. 

“Oh, my, God,” she mouthed dramatically, moving slowly from her bed to approach her window. “Spider-Man?!” She enthused, all but jumping up and down like she’d just gotten a car for her birthday.

Unimpressed, Peter rolled his eyes and flipped her off—a surefire sign that they have been spending way too much time together.

Once she reached her window, Michelle appropriately steeled herself—one never quite does get used to Spider-Man knocking on their bedroom window late at night, not even imperturbable Michelle Jones—and lifted her window with a heavy sigh. 

“So do you know when I’m home alone, or just have impeccable timing?” She asked him nonchalantly, which seemed to take him off guard, since his only response was to blink at her, almost unbelievingly. “Because I can’t decide which one is creepier.”

Quiet, as if he had to seriously consider his answer to her obvious joke, Peter squinted at her. 

“If I say both, is _that_ creepy?” 

“Yes.” Michelle nodded. “Yes, that is definitely creepy.”

Somehow this had become her new normal—opening her window to Peter Parker slash Spider-Man whenever he felt it necessary to drop by—and much unlike most things in life, she had accepted it. Just like she had accepted the irrefutable fact that Peter was Spider-Man; similar to how she accepted other undeniable truths, like ‘the sky is blue’ and ‘the sun is also a star.’ 

When Peter found out that she knew, he had been almost disappointed. But he was the one who left the trail; all she had done was follow. It wasn’t that hard to connect the dots. Add in her skillful observance, memory retention, and ability to read people as easily as she could a book, it was no surprise that she had figured it out so quickly. 

What surprised her was that Peter thought he could ever keep a secret from her in the first place. 

Nevertheless, this was her life now: Michelle knew about Peter’s confidential role as the masked vigilante-hero of New York City, and now that Peter and Ned knew that she knew all the knowing naturally catapulted her into a world where Peter was not just the first boy she ever had feelings for, but her best friend who also happened to be a crime-fighting superhero who could lift up a bus like it were a pencil. 

The newest development in their relationship happened two weeks ago, when they had reserved a room in the library to study for their next AcaDec match and Peter accidentally let it slip that he thought she was beautiful (his response to her asking him if she looked alright, because the wind had blown her curls to the top of her head, leaving her looking like she’d stuck her finger in an electrical socket). The words were an obvious slip of the tongue that sent Peter into a panicked ramble. Michelle’s galaxy-brain idea had been to shut him up by kissing him smack dab on the mouth. 

Of course, her plan worked, but it also kind of backfired, because yes, he was finally quiet, but _you idiot, now he knows you like him!_ The awkward conversation that followed was anything less than memorable. Ergo, the best part was when it ended, and Michelle deflated the tension by folding an index card into the shape of an airplane and aiming it at Peter’s forehead. Needless to say, she hit her target, Peter retaliated with a paper plane of his own, and maybe they got kicked out by Miss Rutter for inappropriate use of a private study room. 

So now they’re kind of dating, and Peter literally swings by her room almost every night after he finishes patrol, and it’s sorta cool because she gets to hold his hand and kiss him whenever she wants. That, she won’t tell him, but she is pretty sure doesn’t have to. Despite having never thought it possible, that idiot probably knows her better than anyone ever has. Which is cool. She guesses. Not a super big deal, or anything.

What isn’t cool, however, is how easy it is for him to convince her to sneak out of her room (on a school night, no less. They have a calculus test in the morning!) so that he can “show her the coolest park in Queens.”

The second Michelle caves, Peter all but scoops her up, and once his mask is covering his face (and warns her—he learned the hard way that not doing so would result in a burst eardrum), they are airborne. With too much ease, Peter carries them both across the city, zipping between buildings and skyscrapers effortlessly. In no time they arrive at their destination, landing carefully on an empty dirt path.

When her body deems it safe to open her eyes, she surveys their surroundings. As it turns out, the ‘coolest park in Queens’ is Flushing Meadows Corona Park, one of the biggest parks in NYC. Its landmarks make it a tourist attraction, but the open space makes it a hub for recreational use, too. 

Objectively, the park is impressive. Michelle has come here several times before, which she wastes no time telling Peter. 

“I know,” is his frustratingly casual response, as if he was expecting her to say that. 

With a huff, she all but pouts next to him. Mildly upset, because she could be in her room, peacefully enjoying her favorite TV show of all time. She could be cozy and warm, snuggled up in her bed, relaxing. That is what she _should_ be doing. 

Clearly, her superhuman boyfriend had other ideas, thus explaining why he dragged her to some science-y park miles away from her apartment for a reason unbeknownst to her.

“…with you,” she persists and continues to eye him skeptically. 

“I know,” he repeats and then turns to look at her. Since arriving, he has ditched his mask and used his sweatshirt to cover up the most conspicuous parts of his suit. The grin he meets her pensive expression with is bright and genuine. “I just wanted to hang out with you,” he says in earnest. 

And _wow_ , the way her heart turns to useless goo in her chest is laughable. One look and she’s a goner. One simple phrase and her whole body is one giant circuit board conducting electricity. When did she allow him to have this much power over her? It’s pathetic.

Her feeble heart doesn’t deter her annoyance, though. To demonstrate, she narrows her eyes at him. ’Just wanted to hang out?’ _Really, Parker?_ They ‘just hang out’ all the time! Shooting him a heatless glare, she lets out an irritable groan.

“We could have hung out in my room!” She throws her arms up in protest as she frowns at him. “I was warm! Now I’m freezing!” 

Almost immediately, Peter takes her complaint as an invitation to wrap his arms around her, pull her into his chest, and envelope her in his warmth. Which, yeah, she set herself up for, but God, does he have to be so annoying all the time? 

She fights hard to preserve it, but the peeved expression she sports doesn’t last very long. Especially not when Peter tightens his hold on her and rests his head against hers affectionately. There is no getting out of it, so she decides her only choice is to take advantage of it. 

Leaning into him, she inhales, taking in his scent. He smells like mint and the Earth, so incredibly _Peter_ that she finds herself lost in it—lost in him.

Jesus Christ, she’s a mess.

Prideful as she is, Michelle cannot deny the calm feeling that washes over her any time she is with Peter, no matter what proximity it may be. Perhaps there is an additional layer of security that she feels when she is wrapped up in him like this, but it’s being with him that nourishes it. The sensation exists all the same, and it’s among her favorite things about their relationship (which is top secret information—worthy of her only.) 

They probably look a little strange, standing in the middle of the park as they hug one another, but of all the things Michelle cares about, looking weird is certainly not one of them. 

As far as she can tell, there isn’t anyone else here. They have the entire park to themselves, which is a rarity, and they would be stupid not to seize the opportunity. Besides, peaceful moments between them are scarce; most of their time together is spent bickering, doing homework, studying, practicing for AcaDec, and recently, kissing. So sue her for wanting to bask in it. Hell is a teenage girl, sure, but greed is, too.

Although Michelle is fond of their routine, seeing as she is keen on maintaining a structured and scheduled life, that doesn’t mean she can’t allow for unplanned moments like this one. Which is why she put up little to no fight when Peter first proposed the idea; dating a superhero has forced her to expect the unexpected. 

Even if the unexpected is sneaking out to walk through a park at nine o’clock on a Thursday night.

…Or complimentarily hearing her idiot boyfriend ask if she thought he could make the roughly 2,000-foot jump from the tower in the World’s Fair Pavilion to the Unisphere.

So much for peace.

“No,” she answers bluntly, “I don’t.”

“MJ, I’m telling you that I can make it. If you—”

“—Peter, _I’m_ telling _you_ that you can’t.”

“But I—”

“—but you won’t. I literally know that you won’t.”

“ _Okayyy_ , but—”

“Did we not decide that at all times, I am the sole-existing voice of reason in the group?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“So listen to my very reasonable voice when I say that if you try, you _will_ fail.” 

At her side, Peter visibly deflates. 

Like a three-year-old, he hunches his shoulders forward, sticks his bottom lip out, and pouts as if she just told him they will not be getting McDonald’s for dinner. In theory, his big brown eyes and childishly pouted lip _should_ be cute, and she _should_ succumb to his boyish good looks, but unfortunately for the both of them, it isn’t and she will not. 

Actually, it is kind of pitiful how he seems to think he has an advantage over her simply because they’re dating and she accidentally admitted—once! One time!—that he looks cute when he gets worked up about something. 

Here and now, however, she realizes that her confession was a mistake because Peter took that information and ran a damn marathon with it. 

She obviously knew then that her actions would have consequences in the near future. She just didn’t know when to expect them in said near future. 

Tonight, apparently, her first consequence has decided to take the form of a petulant Peter Parker, who is upset because his girlfriend shot down his Incredibly Stupid claim that—if she just had some faith—he could make the jump.

As he attempts to exhaust her defenses with his round and twinkling puppy-dog eyes, Michelle refuses to surrender to his assault on her heartstrings and stands her ground. She opts out of reacting to him at all and instead entertains herself with the scuffs on her Converse. She’ll be damned if she lets something as lame as Peter’s dumb little grumpy face wear her down. 

“Oh, my God, MJ, come on!” Peter exclaims gripingly. “You seriously think I can’t make that? Do you know how far my webs can go? This is nothing!” he outright brags, which Michelle thinks is kind of adorable, because Peter is not the bragging type by any means, but of course Spider-Man is.

Still, Michelle is unconvinced. It seems highly unlikely; she has seen Peter—Spider-Man—do his thing before, and yeah, it’s remarkable. Maybe even a little impossible. But she has yet to see him tackle a 2,000-foot jump across an open field with only two options to stick his landing. There are no skyscrapers here for him to cling to. Just two-fifths of a mile of undeniably flat ground. She has to take the most realistic approach, and realistically, Peter doesn’t stick any landing. 

If anything, he will crash- _land_ flat on his face. That is her single and final prediction. 

But, since he is so determined to prove her wrong, Michelle is suddenly just as, if not more, determined to throw the words “I told you so” in his face. So, with a noncommittal shrug, and with John Mulaney’s _“This might as well happen”_ quote echoing in her brain, she gestures to the two landmarks, and tells Peter to prove her wrong. 

“I will,” Peter retorts stubbornly, to which Michelle simply nods and gives him a perhaps sarcastic and not at all encouraging thumbs up.  
“Betting on it, nerd,” she sneers before she walks to the nearest bench and takes a seat.

Without so much as another word or even a glance back, Peter runs (unnecessary) across the abandoned fairgrounds and, after making sure there was no one but her around, does some crazy flip (also unnecessary) to hop onto the tower. 

It’s almost too easy how quickly he climbs up the side of it, and she has a momentary sense of panic, because what if she seriously underestimated him? What if he succeeds and he is the one who gets to say those four beautiful words? She can’t have that. It would destroy her reputation of always being right! 

As this newfound sense of competition washes over her, Michelle stands from the bench and yells “I hope you like the taste of grass!” at him from the base of the tower. It’s unclear whether he hears her or not, so she adds “and losing!”, yelling much louder than before.

In less time than Michelle thinks should be allowed or possible—even with his abilities, Peter reaches the top and waves down to her with a cocky grin on his idiotic face. 

_Geek._

In response, she rolls her eyes and juts a firm middle finger in his direction.

“Should I be recording this?” She calls up to him wryly, hands cupped around her mouth to project her voice. 

“Yeah!” Peter yells back to her, and she hates how clearly she can hear the smirk on his face. “So you can remember how it feels to lose!” 

Scoffing incredulously, Michelle opens her mouth to yell something smart back, but stops when she hears the signature _thwip!_ from above her. Wasting absolutely no time, she rips her phone out of her back pocket and presses record. 

It’s dark, and nothing is clearly visible, but it would be hard not to see the way Peter literally soars through the air and across the empty field that separates him and his desired destination. 

From the fairgrounds, Michelle gapes up at him, disbelieving. She decides right then and there that if he lands this, she’s leaving. She is turning immediately around and will walk straight home; leaving him to soak in all his glory. 

So what if it makes her look like a sore loser? She is! Michelle Jones is a big fat sore loser and she’s proud! What about it?

Except, just as it seems like Peter is about to land and potentially ruin the dynamic of their relationship, something catches on his web and instead of gliding gracefully across the night sky, he falls clumsily to the ground and lands with a hard _thud_ against the ground. 

Michelle can only wince at the impact. It takes about thirty full seconds for her to recover from her secondhand embarrassment. As soon as it passes, she puts her phone away and then full on sprints over to Peter’s motionless body in the grass.

Another thirty seconds go by before she gets to him, twenty feet away from the Unisphere as he lays completely still, face down in the wet grass. For one heart-stopping second, she thinks he might be seriously hurt, but then he flops onto his back and stares blankly at the stars above them, his sweatshirt covered in mud and grass stains. 

At the sight of him, she bursts into uncontrollable laughter.

Shamefully, he covers his face with his hands. “Don’t say it,” he grumbles into his palms.

Suppressing her laughter, Michelle manages a playful sigh as she says, “but I have to.”

From the ground, Peter groans. “ _Do you_ , though?” He whines up at her, propping himself onto his elbows. 

With another dramatic sigh, Michelle joins him in the grass, despite the fact that it is wet and she is wearing denim pants. The things she endures for Peter Parker… 

“Yeah, I do,” she tells him, “‘cause I did. I told you so,” she finishes proudly and pats him on the shoulder placatingly. Then, for good measure, she adds: “Loser.” 

Then, before he gets the chance to protest, or blab on about how he could’ve done it if did this or that, she leans and kisses him right on his stupid little mouth, and when he kisses her back, everything feels right. Good. Almost perfect. Dating Peter Parker is all those things and more—awkward pauses, shy glances, careful touches, and gentle gestures included—and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Even when the sprinklers turn on and send them running and slipping all the way back to the sidewalk, soaking wet as they laugh so hard that they cry, and maybe Michelle didn't want a romantic kiss in the rain, but she never said anything about one in pressurized water.

**Author's Note:**

> as always, thank u for reading!!!!  
> comments and kudos are greatly appreciated<333333  
> i lov u all. farewell for now!


End file.
